Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling the attack on a gay nightclub in Florida an act of domestic terror.

Trudeau says he was "shocked and saddened" to learn so many people were killed and injured following the mass shooting in Orlando.

Trudeau says that while authorities are still investigating and not all details have been confirmed, it is "appalling that as many as 50 lives may have been lost to this domestic terror attack targeting the LGBTQ2 community."​

U.S. police say the attack happened early Sunday morning, when a gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub. He later died in a gunfight with police.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark said on Twitter that she is "incredibly saddened by the evil brutality" of the Florida shooting, and that her province "stands united with [Orlando] against terror and hate."